The USA will take on Germany later at the Arena Pernambuco in Recife in a game where a draw would be enough for both teams to progress into the last sixteen. USA Striker Jozy Altidore won’t make the cut for the game this evening, missing out once more with a hamstring strain;  in fact sources inside the USA camp are saying that the same selection is likely to be used again as drew with Portugal. Jerome Boateng and Sami Khedira of Germany have both fully recovered from minor knocks they sustained against a physical Ghana side. Thomas Muller will also be available, even though he picked up a nasty facial injury during that same game.

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With a point being enough to send both teams through, the coaches have moved quickly to say that neither team will be playing for a single point and will do what they can to win  and bag all three points.The Germans especially will want to play on for the best result possible, given that their country’s football history is tarnished by the so-called “Disgrace of  Gijon” game in which  Austria and West Germany played  out a 1-0 win for the Germans at the 1982 World Cup, which allowed  both countries to move into the next round. Since then however,  it has seemed that the USA and Germany haven’t been able  to  muster a draw, with only wins being played out in nine previous meetings.

Another interesting facet of  tonights already intriguing game  is that the USA have German legend Jurgen Klinsmann at the helm, who scored a respectable 47 goals in 108 appearances for his country. Klinsmann has led most of the Germany  squad  as it is nonw, and knows all too well what they are capable  of, having managed such names as Podolski, Lahm, Schweinsteiger, Mertesacker and Klose before handing over the team to Joachim Loew after World Cup 2006. Loew was his assistant at the time, and a good friend. Klinsmann insists however that for the time being at least, that friendship is put to one side, saying: “We are good friends, but I am doing my job. There is no time for friendship calls. That time is done.”

Also strange about tonight’s game is that Klinsmann has for some reason selected no less than five players with dual American-German nationality, leading to suggestions that these  members of his squad  may have split  loyalties  this  evening. For example Jermaine Jones who won three caps for Germany in 2008 has said: “I will not celebrate if I score another wonder goal like I did against  Portugal. And with both the anthems I will close my eyes, let everything go through and then after, I will try to make my game.” Miroslav Klose will be trying his best to make  history tonight at the Pernambuco, where another goal to his name will see him become the record goalscorer at World Cup finals. Meetings between these two teams are generally hard fought and filled with goals, with the last match finishing 4-3.